Crocodile Tears
by levy120
Summary: Commander Nebula needs to rationalize and save money. Matter at hand is, that XR's constant need for repair costs a lot of it.


"Would you look at all those BILLS?!" a hale voice bounced off the walls, as it made its point clear.  
"But Commander," an LGM insisted, the papers still clutched tightly in his puny hands.  
"No more buts and no more bots, I'm not willing to pay for this any longer!"

He thought his engine would short circuit any second.

"I'm sorry, Dad!" a little robot on a construction table suddenly wailed pathetically, "Please don't deactivate me! I'm not like XL! I'm not running amok! Well sure there was that Nos-4-A2 business and that time on Tradeworld and the Vulterians and… I'll be good! Please don't deactivate me!"

Commander Nebula couldn't help but be surprised at the sudden outburst. He'd _heard_ that?! Craters.  
By the way the LGMs had left it on the table – in this heap of broken wires and dented parts, he'd expected for the robot to be off-lined.  
Just looking and actually seeing that pitiful heap _move_ somewhat churned the Commander's guts; the first thing he couldn't help himself think of: what'd it be like if it had been _any other_ ranger. _Those_ were _not_ replaceable.  
"Please, Dad… Sir… I try to not get blown up so much. I try. I really do. I-" the robot suddenly cut off, catching himself in a loop and starting to sob, which caused the old man to pull back. Shifty eyes glanced around to science bay to see whether there was anyone he could use as a divergence, but the LGM he'd scolded just earlier seemed to pretend to be hard at work now.

Craters.

With a grump in his voice, a scowl on his face and heavy, reluctant footsteps the Commander marched over to the heap of scrap metal.  
The robot, still stuck in its loop muttered excuses and apologies nonstop, like a mantra that would protect it from harm. Wait, what was that about losing a star cruiser in a poker game?! Oh, never mind. That was probably the 'theft incident' they had investigated last week. They'd managed to get it back no problem.

Regardless though, the Commander balled his hands into fists and his teeth grit.

"Listen… _son_," it came out a lot harsher than he'd hoped, but he couldn't think of any other way to shut the little bot up just now.  
And shut up he did.  
"We can't _afford_ all these repairs. Our budget is-"  
The Commander found himself cut off again by gut-wrenching sobbing, as crocodile tears rolled from the robot's brimming optics. Why they'd given him tears was still beyond the old man.  
"SWEET MOTHER OF VENUS!" the Commander suddenly bellowed as he brought his fist down on the construction desk, causing various appliances on it to jump and the robot on it to turtle up, "Stop crying! You're a RANGER!"

Something that very much sounded like a gasp was heard from the little bot below him. His optics flashed over with green and two single digits glanced up at the man as his eyebrows couldn't decide whether they should be worried… or curious.

He decided not to say anything.

Glaring down at the robot for a long while, Commander Nebula's posture eventually eased up, his fists loosening to have his fingers lay flat on the table, after scraping it. XR had been able to see this very well, because one of these hands had been very much directly in front of his helmet, obscuring his view of much of anything else that wasn't the Commander's face.  
"Listen," the old man started over again, his eyes locked on XR as though he was going to give the final verdict any moment. This was Nebula's serious face.

"We can't afford these repairs, and that is why I'm going to talk to your team."  
"My team? Why my team? Why would you talk to Buzz," He held himself back this time, or tried to at least. He really tried, "_what would you..._ why would you talk to BUZZ?!"  
He'd tell him to pick a new partner. Oh Sweet Mother of Ven-

"To tell him not to break you this often."

The robot's engine stopped suddenly, much like an organic heart that would skip a beat and he glanced up at the man with disbelieving blinks.  
He must have been dead already.

"R-really?" the robot asked. He couldn't believe this…  
He wouldn't be considered _expandable_ any longer?!  
The only response he got however was a grump from the old man. "D-dad, really? Is that true?"  
"XR," the Commander hushed him, his eyes fixed on a spot on the far off wall. "This is just about the money."

Silence fell.  
And lasted.

Well… said was said, the Commander supposed, and he really didn't want to waste any more time with this little nuisance. Ignoring XR's babbling, as it picked up again (he hadn't really noticed when it did) Commander Nebula turned around, slowly, to head out of the science bay, slowly.

"Dad?!" another call reached him from the construction table. It was desperate, and hadn't the Commander deeply believed in his creed, than he'd probably thought there was something else laced in that voice. Something else he didn't _want_ to hear, so he kept on walking.

"I love you."  
Without any sign of reaction the old man reached the far end of the science bay, stepped out of the area, and, as if to make a point, closed the door on the little robot.

For a little while he just stood there and glanced at the door, making up his mind.

…He had conversations to make.


End file.
